I am very glad that constitutional conservative Victor Petersen has received Matt Salmon's endorsement for Gilbert Town Council. Rep. Salmon stated:

"We really need guys like Victor," said Salmon, "who fight Federal overreach at the local level so we can be successful in that same effort in Congress. I hope you will join me in supporting him."

I agree with Rep. Salmon. Victor has consistently fought against Federal overreach, with every statement he makes and every vote he casts.

You can help Victor in 4 Easy Ways:

Yard signs - Simply contact Victor at victor@votevictorpetersen.com, and he will bring a sign to your home!

Meet and Greet - Victor would love to meet your neighbors and tell them how he stands up for them every day!

Donate - Campaigns are not cheap. Will you help with a donation of $100, $50, $25? Click HERE to donate online today.

Forward this post to your friends.

Victor Petersen was elected to the Council in Gilbert Town Council in 2011. As a general manager in a locally run construction company, he oversees project budgets, system efficiencies, contracts, and information technology.

He is the Co-Director of For Our City in Gilbert. This group organizes two annual community-wide service projects in Gilbert.

Victor graduated from Gilbert High School and later from ASU with a bachelor of science degree in psychology. Victor is married to Joyce, and they have three boys and one daughter.

Matt Salmon was elected to the United States Congress on November 6, 2012 to represent the people of Arizona’s 5th Congressional District. Matt was appointed by his peers to serve on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and serves as Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere. He also serves on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

Matt has spent the last 34 years happily married to his best friend, Nancy. They are the proud parents of four children and the proud grandparents of six grandchildren.

All of these excellent candidates need MONEY. Click on their names below to go to their websites and donate. If you cannot donate money, you can provide grassroots support going door to door, making phone calls, placing a yard sign in your yard, etc., etc., etc.!

Rep. Salmon recently endorsed Emilena Turley, who is running for the Queen Creek Town Council, stating "I am excited to endorse Emilena Turley for Queen Creek Town Council. She has the right blend of business background, conservative values and real world experience that are needed now in the council. She will be a great asset to the town, and to the people and families that call Queen Creek home."

"Today, I had the opportunity sit down with Sgt. Tahmooressi and discuss his treatment by prison personnel and his legal case going forward. While I’m deeply offended by some of the treatment he received at the hands of prison officials at his previous detainment facility, I’m pleased to report he is doing well and is in good spirits since being relocated to el Hongo II. I also had the opportunity to tour this facility, and I leave confident that he will be treated respectfully. I also expressed to both prison officials and U.S. consular personnel that his care going forward is of the utmost importance and that our expectations are that when Andrew comes home, he will be in good physical condition.

“In addition, Sgt. Tahmooressi and I were able to hold a private discussion regarding his case and strategy for his upcoming hearing. He seems comfortable with his new attorney and is hopeful that he will have a successful hearing where his story will be fully explained.

Allows more flexibility for parents in saving for children’s education

Washington—Today, Rep. Matt Salmon (AZ-05) released the following statement on the introduction of his newest education-focused legislation, the School Choice Education Savings Account Act:

“Last night in the State of the Union address, President Obama said, “Research shows that one of the best investments we can make in a child’s life is high-quality early education.” One of the ways we can truly invest in our children’s education is to provide parents with more flexibility, including the expansion of tax savings accounts for their children’s education from kindergarten through college.

“As a Member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, I take to heart President Reagan’s invaluable words about school choice. He said, “Choice represents a return to some of our most basic notions about education. In particular, programs emphasizing choice reflect the simple truth that the keys to educational success are schools and teachers that teach, and parents who insist that their children learn.”

“As I’ve said before, the enormity of our government’s current fiscal situation requires that we make bold and sometimes difficult choices to ensure our country returns to a sustainable fiscal path. I remain 100% committed to making these tough choices and moving us towards a smaller and more efficient government.

“Today’s vote on the omnibus appropriations bill was one of these tough choices I had to make, and ultimately I believe that voting for a trillion-dollar-plus spending bill without more time to find ways on how we could reform and downsize government was something I could not support.

“Unfortunately, today’s bill spends $45 billion beyond the spending levels agreed upon in the Budget Control Act passed just three years ago.

“Furthermore, this bill also fails to incorporate strategic opportunities to implement solid fiscal reform. One of these opportunities is the reform of the National Flood Insurance Program, an important federal program for Arizona constituents. Instead of establishing market-based prices for the program in order to reduce federal spending, this bill includes language that delays reform for another year.

“Moreover, we failed to address the funding structure of PILT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) to ensure its reliability and sustainability. As a western state, much of Arizona’s land is federally owned which makes it heavily dependent on PILT. These federal payments to our local governments help offset losses in property taxes due to non-taxable acres of federal lands within our state. The money from PILT goes to schools, roads, and emergency services. This bill should have addressed the reform of this program to ensure Washington fulfills its promise to Arizona and other Western states.

“Instead, this bill funds organizations like the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and East-West Center in Hawaii. These are only two examples of spending items we need to reprioritize.

“If we are not willing to make tough choices now, then how can we expect future Congresses to make the bold and difficult choices we are unwilling to make ourselves?

“It is my hope that moving forward we will be able to move appropriations bills through regular order and give all Members of Congress an opportunity to conduct transparent oversight of our federal spending. It is time to stop kicking the can down the road and begin taking steps towards a government that does more with less.”

Rep. Matt Salmon (AZ-05) serves on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs as Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere. He is also a member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

“Today, Congress acted within its authority to try and protect the American people from the harmful effects of Obamacare. Millions of Americans, including many Arizonans, have received notices of cancellation from their healthcare insurance companies who are acting to comply with Obamacare mandates. As a result, these families and businesses have lost their healthcare. President Obama promised the American people that they could keep their health insurance if they wanted to and the House is acting to ensure that promise.

“Though the President apologized again and again for his fumble, it does not change the fact that Arizonan families and businesses are being hurt by Obamacare—from the unworkable website to skyrocketing premiums. While our bill today repeals parts of Obamacare and ensures more choices for Americans, the ultimate solution is still a full repeal of Obamacare.

“Enough with the administrative fixes and sidestepping of Congress, this train wreck has already left the station and we must replace this big, bad, unworkable law with a free-market system. There is a better way to healthcare reform that doesn’t include burdensome mandates, broken promises, IRS oversight, and more uninsured Americans.”

Our democracy has not always operated smoothly. Our Founding Fathers had fierce debates in Independence Hall before negotiating what would become the Constitution.

Through negotiation, our Founding Fathers created a system of checks and balances with three independent arms of government. The House of Representatives, with its frequent elections and large body of delegates, was designed to be the most responsive to the will of the people.

As a congressman, I take my duty to represent the will of my constituents seriously, and I join many of them in being deeply disappointed in President Barack Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s “no negotiation” policy.

Washington—8/31/2013. Today, Rep. Matt Salmon (AZ-05), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere released the following statement regarding President Obama’s announcement that he will seek Congressional approval for military before taking military action in Syria:

“I commend the President for following the Constitution and seeking Congressional approval before taking military action in Syria. Now it is up to the Administration to convince Congress and the American people that intervening in this two-year long Syrian civil war is in our nation's best interests.

“If it is proven that the Assad regime used chemical weapons against its own people there must be consequences; the question for the Administration, Congress and the American people, is what should those consequences be. I will look forward to the President answering many questions regarding urgency of action, strategy and objectives as we take up this debate.”

Chairman Salmon joined over 100 of his Republican and Democrat House colleagues in formally requesting President Obama to consult and receive authorization from Congress before ordering use of military force in Syria. You can read a copy of the letter here.

Rep. Matt Salmon (AZ-05) serves on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs as Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere. He is also a member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

Washington—Today, Chairman Matt Salmon (AZ-05) of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere issued the following statement regarding the release of drug kingpin Rafael Caro Quintero.

“I am deeply troubled by news that Mexican courts have released from prison the infamous drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero who ordered the brutal torture and killing of DEA Agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena in 1985. As Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, I am a fervent supporter of U.S.-Mexico security cooperation, and want to continue partnering with the Mexican government to combat the scourge of drug-trafficking and associated violence. The release of this drug kingpin whom U.S. authorities believe continued to run money laundering operations from behind prison bars, raises very serious questions about the foundation of the Mexican justice system, even as Mexico implements judicial reforms. I urge the Department of Justice to vigorously pursue an extradition claim against Caro Quintero so he may face charges in the United States.”

Rep. Matt Salmon (AZ-05) serves on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs as Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere. He is also a member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.